The invention provides semiconductor materials including a gallium nitride material layer formed on a silicon substrate and methods to form the semiconductor materials. The semiconductor materials include a transition layer formed between the silicon substrate and the gallium nitride material layer. The transition layer is compositionally-graded to lower stresses in the gallium nitride material layer which can result from differences in thermal expansion rates between the gallium nitride material and the substrate. The lowering of stresses in the gallium nitride material layer reduces the tendency of cracks to form. Thus, the invention enables the production of semiconductor materials including gallium nitride material layers having few or no cracks. The semiconductor materials may be used in a number of microelectronic and optical applications.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A semiconductor material comprising: a silicon substrate; an intermediate layer comprising aluminum nitride, an aluminum nitride alloy, or a gallium nitride alloy formed directly on the substrate; a compositionally-graded transition layer formed over the intermediate layer; and a gallium nitride material layer formed over the transition layer, wherein the semiconductor material forms a PET.
2. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the transition layer is graded discontinuously across the thickness of the layer.
3. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer comprises an alloy of gallium nitride selected from the group consisting of Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N, In y Ga (1-y) N, and Al x Ga (1-x) N, wherein 0 x 1 and 0 y 1.
4. The semiconductor material of claim 3 , wherein the concentration of gallium in the transition layer is graded.
5. The semiconductor material of claim 3 , wherein x and/or y is varied from a first value at a back surface of the transition layer to a second value at a front surface of the transition layer, wherein the back surface is closer to the substrate than the front surface.
6. The semiconductor material of claim 5 , wherein the sum of the value of x and the value of y at the back surface is greater than 0.4.
7. The semiconductor material of claim 5 , wherein the sum of the value of x and the value of y at the back surface is greater than 0.8.
8. The semiconductor material of claim 5 , wherein the transition layer comprises Al x In (1-x) N at the back surface of the transition layer in contact with the silicon substrate, wherein 0 x 1.
9. The semiconductor material of claim 5 , wherein the sum of the value of x and the value of y at the front surface is less than 0.3.
10. The semiconductor material of claim 5 , wherein the transition layer comprises GaN at a front surface of the transition layer in contact with the gallium nitride material layer and is free of gallium at a back surface of the transition layer in contact with the substrate.
11. The semiconductor material of claim 3 , wherein the transition layer comprises Al x Ga (1-x) N.
12. The semiconductor material of claim 3 , wherein the value of x decreases in a direction away from the silicon substrate.
13. The semiconductor material of claim 3 , wherein the value of y remains constant across the transition layer.
14. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer comprises a superlattice.
15. The semiconductor material of claim 14 , wherein the superlattice includes a series of alternating Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N and Al a In b Ga (1-a-b) N layers, wherein 0 x 1, 0 y 1, 0 a 1, 0 b 1.
16. The semiconductor material of claim 15 , wherein the of value of x, y, a, and b are constant across respective layers and the thickness of the respective layers is varied across the transition layer.
17. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer has a thickness between about 0.03 micron and about 20 microns.
18. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer comprises GaN.
19. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer comprises Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N, wherein 0 x 1 and 0 y 1.
20. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer has a thickness of greater than 0.75 micron.
21. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer has a crack level of less than 0.005 m/ m 2 .
22. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer has a crack level of less than 0.001 m/ m 2 .
23. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is substantially free of cracks.
24. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is monocrystalline.
25. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the silicon substrate has a thickness of greater than 250 micron.
26. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the silicon substrate is textured.
27. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N, In y Ga (1-y) N, or Al x Ga (1-x) N, wherein 0 x 1 and 0 y 1.
28. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the silicon substrate comprises a silicon wafer.
29. A method of producing a semiconductor material comprising: forming an intermediate layer comprising aluminum nitride, an aluminum nitride alloy, or a gallium nitride alloy directly on a silicon substrate; forming a compositionally-graded transition layer over the intermediate layer; and forming a gallium nitride material layer over the transition layer, wherein the semiconductor material forms a FET.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the transition layer comprises an alloy of gallium nitride selected from the group consisting of Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N, In y Ga (1-x) N, wherein 0 x 1 and 0 y 1.
31. The method of claim 29 , wherein the concentration of gallium in the transition layer is graded.
32. The method of claim 29 , wherein the value of x decreases in a direction away from the silicon substrate.
33. The method of claim 29 , wherein the transition layer comprises Al x Ga (1-x) N, wherein 0 x 1.
34. The method of claim 29 , wherein the transition layer comprises a superlattice including a series of alternating Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N/Al a In b Ga (1-a-b) N layers, wherein 0 x 1, 0 y 1, 0 a 1, 0 b 1.
35. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer comprises GaN.
36. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer comprises Al x In y Ga (1-x-y) N, wherein 0 x 1 and 0 y 1.
37. The method of claim 29 , further comprising processing the semiconductor material to form at least one semiconductor device.
38. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer has a crack level of less than 0.005 m/ m 2 .
39. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer has a crack level of less than 0.001 m/ m 2 .
40. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is substantially free of cracks.
41. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is monocrystalline.
42. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer comprises a gallium nitride alloy.
43. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the transition layer is graded across the entire thickness of the transition layer.
44. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the transition layer is graded only across a portion of the thickness of the transition layer.
45. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer is formed directly on the intermediate layer.
46. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , further comprising a second intermediate layer formed over the first intermediate layer.
47. The semiconductor material of claim 46 , wherein the transition layer is formed directly on the second intermediate layer.
48. The semiconductor material of claim 46 , wherein the second intermediate layer is formed over the transition layer.
49. The semiconductor material of claim 48 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is formed directly on the second intermediate layer.
50. The semiconductor material of claim 48 , wherein the transition layer is formed directly on the intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer is formed directly on the transition layer and the gallium nitride material layer is formed directly on the second intermediate layer.
51. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is formed directly on the transition layer.
52. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer is formed directly on the intermediate layer and the gallium nitride material layer is formed directly on the transition layer.
53. The semiconductor material of claim 27 , wherein the sum of x y is greater than 0.8.
54. A The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises aluminum nitride.
55. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness between about 0.01 micron and 2.0 microns.
56. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer includes an intrinsic gallium nitride layer and an Al x Ga (1-x) N layer formed on the intrinsic gallium nitride layer, wherein 0 x 1.
57. The semiconductor material of claim 56 , wherein the Al x Ga (1-x) N layer comprises 10-40 percent aluminum by weight.
58. The semiconductor material of claim 1 , wherein the silicon substrate is a (100) substrate.
59. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer comprises a gallium nitride alloy.
60. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the transition layer is graded across the entire thickness of the transition layer.
61. The method of claim 29 , wherein the composition of the transition layer is graded only across a portion of the thickness of the transition layer.
62. The method of claim 29 , wherein the transition layer is formed directly on the intermediate layer.
63. The method of claim 29 , further comprising forming a second intermediate layer over the first intermediate layer.
64. The method of claim 63 , wherein the transition layer is formed directly on the second intermediate layer.
65. The method of claim 63 , wherein the second intermediate layer is formed over the transition layer.
66. The method of claim 49 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is formed directly on the second intermediate layer.
67. The method of claim 63 , wherein the transition layer is formed directly on the intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer is formed directly on the transition layer and the gallium nitride material layer is formed directly on the second intermediate layer.
68. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer is formed directly on the transition layer.
69. The method of claim 29 , wherein the transition layer is formed directly on the intermediate layer and the gallium nitride material layer is formed directly on the transition layer.
70. The method of claim 31 , wherein the sum of x y is greater than 0.8.
71. The method of claim 29 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises aluminum nitride.
72. The method of the intermediate layer has a thickness between about 0.01 micron and 2.0 microns.
73. The method of claim 29 , wherein the gallium nitride material layer includes an intrinsic gallium nitride layer and an Al x Ga (1-x) N layer formed on the intrinsic gallium nitride layer, wherein 0 x 1.
74. The method of claim 73 , wherein the Al x Ga (1-x) N layer comprises 10-40 percent aluminum by weight.
75. The method of claim 29 , wherein the silicon substrate is a (100) substrate.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 2, 2002
September 9, 2003
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